The Ministry of Education and Training is drafting a new circular on the Regulations for High School Graduation Exams from 2025. It is expected that candidates will take 4 subjects, including 2 compulsory subjects (Literature, Mathematics) and 2 elective subjects (from the remaining subjects studied in grade 12 including: Foreign Language, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economic and Legal Education, Information Technology, Technology). Thus, the exam time will be shortened to 3 sessions instead of 4 sessions as at present.

This is also the first time that the subjects of Information Technology and Technology (Industry, Agriculture ) are organized in this exam.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the exam is expected to add some new question formats for multiple-choice subjects. Previously, the exam only had one multiple-choice question format. In addition, the differentiation of the exam will also be enhanced.

Regarding the recognition of high school graduation, it is expected that the rate of using learning assessment results in grades 10, 11 and 12 will increase to 50% instead of only using grade 12 results accounting for 30% as before. This is to comprehensively assess the abilities of students studying according to the 2018 General Education program.

Candidates with a Foreign Language certificate that meets the regulations will be exempted from this exam, but it will not be converted into 10 points in the graduation recognition consideration as currently regulated.

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Candidates taking the 2025 high school graduation exam (Photo: Thach Thao)

Another new point in the exam from 2025 is the increased application of information technology and digital transformation in exam organization, for example, all exam participants can register for the exam online (in the previous phase, independent candidates had to submit their applications directly), verify personal information and prioritize exam points through a digital database.

The arrangement of exam sites and rooms is based on the principle of maximum support for candidates so that they do not have to move exam rooms, such as allowing students from nearby educational institutions to mix to organize convenient exam sites for candidates; candidates only take the exam in a single exam room during the entire exam period; priority is given to arranging the same exam of 2 elective subjects.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, computer-based testing will be piloted from 2027, and when conditions are met, it will be widely deployed after 2030.

The 2025 high school graduation exam plan with 4 subjects "breaks" many shortcomings and paradoxes. The 2025 high school graduation exam plan is assessed to have many outstanding advantages, "breaking" many shortcomings and paradoxes.